If you prioritize a device for general use with affordability as a key factor, the ASUS Vivobook 15 is a budget-friendly option with a larger screen. However, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, while more expensive, offers a more premium business experience, is lighter and more portable, and has a higher resolution touchscreen display. It would be a better choice for 3D rendering, engineering, or machine learning tasks due to its more powerful processor and superior battery life. Additionally, the ThinkPad's improved keyboard, build quality, and heat management might appeal to users who require a sturdy laptop for intensive daily work. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 15
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a lower capacity processor, less RAM, and a lower quality display compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, impacting performance and visual experience during general use. While the Vivobook 15 is larger and heavier which affects portability, the ThinkPad Z13 offers a more powerful CPU, more memory, a brighter, higher-resolution touch screen, better battery life, and higher portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
7.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 outperforms the ASUS Vivobook 15 in engineering and design use due to its more powerful Ryzen processor, double the RAM, and a stronger integrated GPU, which are crucial for demanding tasks. Moreover, the ThinkPad's screen has higher color accuracy and brightness, benefiting applications that require precise color representation, while still offering better portability and build quality, elements that contribute to a more premium user experience.
Content Creation
6.4/10
7.8/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
6.5/10
7.7/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
6.3/10
7.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 offers adequate clarity and brightness for tasks like browsing and document editing, but its color range is limited for precise engineering work and its standard refresh rate is not ideal for the fast-paced visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with better overall screen brightness and resolution, provides a sharper and more vibrant viewing experience for both everyday and professional design tasks, though like the Vivobook, its refresh rate is lower than what gamers would prefer for smooth motion. Both laptops lack the high refresh rate screens that would benefit gaming and 3D modeling, which demand quick image rendering for an immersive experience.
Battery
6.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$530
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a price of $530 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
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How the ASUS Vivobook 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
"In the premium ultraportable space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 competes with the best of the best, and still manages to shine. The design is an impressive departure from the bland bare-metal laptop that's become so popular in recent years, and the AMD-powered system has performance that's just as impressive. It's a stark alternative to the Intel-based majority, and it stands up well enough to the impressive Apple M2 processor."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 15 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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